Stories written by

Peter Smetacek

Peter Smetacek is a regular Scroll.in contributor

The biggest threats to wildlife in India: Forest fires and an ‘unhealthy’ plantation model

All that is needed to restore Indian ecosystems is protection, not plantation.

Peter Smetacek
· Feb 08, 2019 · 08:00 am
India is ‘planting forests’ to forestall the impending water crisis. It is a fool's errand

Instead, for a start, we should allow forests to regrow naturally. Planting trees creates a plantation, not a forest.

Peter Smetacek
· Dec 17, 2018 · 08:00 am
In India, a move to put a monetary value to forests could spell disaster for protected landscapes

It allows policymakers to shrug their shoulders and de-notify protected areas for short-term economic benefits.

Peter Smetacek
· Jul 20, 2017 · 08:00 am

Video

The Reel

The Uttarakhand forests weren't always burning – this is how we started the fires

A 1981 governmental ban on felling trees over 1,000m above sea level resulted in annual fires and an increased decimation of forests.

Peter Smetacek
· May 02, 2016 · 07:30 pm